Shane Martin, lead vocalist of Silverblade, has given up on keeping his band together. He doesn’t know how to go on after the loss of their bassist and his best friend, Troy. When Troy’s widow insists he start the search, he does. No one was good enough until he found Zack.

Zack Bryant plays bass, but his band is going nowhere. He thinks he has no chance to have a better life. That is until Shane walks into the bar where he is playing one night. He finally has a way to show the world what he can do.

Will Zack blend with the rest of the band? Can they get ready in time to join the Reign of Fire tour? Little do they know, this is only the beginning.

Warning: For those 18 and over only. May not suitable for all readers. Bumps in the road can be fun, right? This book has spoilers for the Gasoline and Wicked End series, as well as Triple Threat's Dual Desires.

“All of Ms. Jeanisse’s books take you directly into the world of rock and roll and makes you feel as a voyeur into their lives. I cannot wait to see where the next book in the Silverblade series takes us. I highly recommend this book.” 5 STARS - Verified Purchase

“Every time I start a new book by Bella I wonder if she is going to be able to top the last one. I have read every single book she's put out and I haven't found ONE that I don't like.” 5 STARS

Bella Jeanisse lives for rock music. Addicted to concerts, Avenged Sevenfold, fictional rockers, and blasting music in the car, she can’t get enough. After her father turned her on to Queen, there was no going back. Of course, it didn’t stop there. Playing guitar became a pastime, which didn’t turn into a career… until she started to pen her fantasies and publish them.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York City, she grew up with access to clubs like L’Amour and CBGBs, hung out in Greenwich Village, as well as had plenty of friends in bands. No wonder rockers stayed on her mind. Bringing her ideas to life was a long time coming.

She is now living near Tampa, FL with 3 kids and 2 grandkids, as a single mom. Her family supports her writing even when it seems to take up more time than they feel is necessary. Can’t stop the muse, ya know!

Besides erotic rock star romances, Bella also writes about wild bikers, hot college men and more.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Title: Half The Night Is Gone

Author: Amitabha Bagchi

Publisher: Juggernaut

Amitabha Bagchi’s ‘Half The Night Is Gone’ is the story of three
generations of merchants and labourers with conjoined fates.

At the turn of the twentieth century, star wrestler Mange
Ram is brought to Delhi by Lala Motichand, a wealthy landowner, successful merchant,
and amateur wrestler. The former’s son Parsadi serves Motichand’s sons. Then
there is Ramdas, who Parsadi hopes will be the personal attendant of
Motichand’s grandson Kesho. These are the main characters around whom the
narrative revolves.

Though Mange Ram and Lala Motichand are separated by their
social status, the master and servant duo are only human beings at the end of
the day, who worry about the future of their children and about the perpetuation
of their family line in their respective fields. Strikingly, the story lacks
the presence of any significant female leads. As such we can surmise that this
is a story of fatherhood and patriarchy.

Their story is interjected by four long letters written by
an eminent Hindi novelist, Vishwanath. He is grieving over the death of his
only son. He is heartbroken and the tragedy spurs him to write a novel that is
the story of Motichand and Mange Ram. In writing the novel, he confronts the
wreckage of his own life while also seeking to make sense of the new India that
came into being after independence.

The connection between Vishwanath and Mange Ram’s story becomes
clearer only much later, completing the emotional arc of the narrative.
However, this connection is never established explicitly.

Bagchi’s narrative reverberates with emotional truths laced with
unusual depth and tenderness. His language is rich and intentionally made to
appear old fashioned to accommodate the timeline of the novel. However, the
lengthy sentences can test one’s patience.

Resilient and fiercely observant, this novel gradually blossoms into a thoughtful, emotionally complex, absorbing
drama that stands confidently on its own merits.

Amitabha Bagchi is the author of three novels. The first,
Above Average, was a bestseller. His second novel, the Householder, was
published to critical acclaim and the third, This Place, was shortlisted for
the Raymond Crossword Book Award 2014. Bagchi lives in New Delhi with his wife
and son.

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in, Goodreads.com

Friday, July 13, 2018

The Body in the Ballroom

by R.J. Koreto

on Tour July 1-31, 2018

Synopsis:

President Teddy Roosevelt’s daring daughter, Alice, leaps into action to exonerate a friend accused of poisoning a man just about everyone hated.
Alice Roosevelt, the brilliant, danger-loving daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, has already risked an assassin’s bullet to solve one murder. She never expected to have to sleuth another, but she’d never pass up the opportunity, either. Anything to stave off boredom.
And such an opportunity presents itself when Alice is invited to a lavish ball. The high-society guests are in high spirits as they imbibe the finest wines. But one man, detested by nearly all the partygoers, quaffs a decidedly deadlier cocktail. An African-American mechanic, who also happens to be a good friend of former Rough Rider-turned-Secret Service Agent Joseph St. Clair, is suspected of the murder-by-poison, but Alice is sure he’s innocent and is back on the scene to clear his name.
From downtown betting parlors to uptown mansions, Alice and Agent St. Clair uncover forbidden romances and a financial deal that just might change the world. But neither Alice nor her would-be protector may survive the case at hand in The Body in the Ballroom, R. J. Koreto's gripping second Alice Roosevelt mystery.

Author Bio:

R.J. Koreto has been fascinated by turn-of-the-century New York ever since listening to his grandfather's stories as a boy.

In his day job, he works as a business and financial journalist. Over the years, he’s been a magazine writer and editor, website manager, PR consultant, book author, and seaman in the U.S. Merchant Marine. He’s a graduate of Vassar College, and like Alice Roosevelt, he was born and raised in New York.

He is the author of the Lady Frances Ffolkes and Alice Roosevelt mysteries. He has been published in both Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. He also published a book on practice management for financial professionals.

With his wife and daughters, he divides his time between Rockland County, N.Y., and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

ENTER TO WIN:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for R.J. Koreto. There will be 3 winners of three (3) Amazon.com Gift Cards. The giveaway begins on July 1, 2018 and runs through August 1, 2018. Open to U.S. addresses only. Void where prohibited.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Alex risked his soul to reunite with Aranes, the angel he’s in love with, forcing her to make the ultimate sacrifice to save him. Having lost her supernatural powers, Guardians and Exorcists fight tooth and nail to protect her, but they cannot keep the dark forces that are after her away for long.

Aranes’ relationship with Alex also puts him in the crosshairs of Lucifer, who wants the angel for himself and plans to destroy his rival, even if he doesn’t believe that the man is the incarnation of the high-ranking Celestial, Abaddon.

Alex must push himself beyond his limits and use all his wits to thwart Lucifer’s plans. He may be just an ordinary man, but he won't give up his partner without a fight. He’s willing to pay any price, any price except for losing her.

Just as in the first book, Cain thoroughly imbues her well-defined characters with style and immense believability. From epic Biblical battle scenes to steamy, yet restrained, sexual interludes, this book once again measures up mightily to expectations, giving readers still more of everything a fan of this genre might expect -- and then some.

Five-plus stars to this sensational sequel. While many long-awaited sequels fall short of expectations, The Emergent Threat proves to be more than equal to the task. It's a triumph in storytelling that should move author J.F. Cain to the forefront of her genre.

~ Publishers Daily Reviews

The writing and the metaphysical considerations, as well as the biblical tone of this book, kept me reading and enthralled. The concepts of good and evil, and the balance that must be maintained between them, is portrayed with an expert touch. The way the universe is put together is very well thought out, and the plot and subplots are written with the deft pen of a master. J.F. Cain should be very proud of this novel and I hope the series goes on for a long time.

As a child, I was drawn to the mysterious, the magical, and the unfathomable. As I grew older this interest grew, creating a thirst in me to know and understand human nature, the world surrounding it and the mysteries hidden behind the veils of space and time. Searching for answers, I began to study psychology, mythology, philosophy and esotericism. But the demands of work and family forced me to put an end to my intellectual quest.

Years later, when there was no longer anything to stop me from exploring the worlds I was so curious about, I decided to move to a house in the mountains. There, experiencing a sense of profound silence and inner completion, I felt the conditions were right for me to devote myself to the study and exploration of the subjects I was interested in.

This time I included other sciences in my research, such as comparative religion, anthropology and quantum physics. I now knew that, in order to find the answers to my questions, I had to couple the knowledge concealed in religious teachings and philosophies with the findings in physics revealing an invisible, parallel and imperceptible universe – a pairing that many scientists and writers had attempted before me.

It was not an easy endeavor. To succeed, I had to counter the harsh rationalism that life’s experiences had wrought in me with a persistent sense that a metaphysical mystery did indeed exist. And I also had to shape a logic of a different quality and breadth. I travelled arduous spiritual paths, discovered terrifying secrets and learned firsthand how dangerous it can be to enter elusive spheres of esoteric knowledge. I faced unexpected difficulties and had to make many sacrifices, but I did not give up.

One winter evening, as I sat by the fireplace, my gaze pinned on the flames and my mind lost in theories, symbols and trains of thought, I experienced something that propelled me to write an allegorical story based on the knowledge I had gained.

There followed three years of non-stop intellectual ferment and writing, which gave birth to a large part of the War Eternal series. In this novel, over and above the clearly expressed objective logic, I tried to conceal important ideas within tantalizing external forms. Because some truths are hard to accept…

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Preeti Shenoy’s ‘Love A Little Stronger’ is a collection of 50
short, real-life incidents that have inspired the author in the course of her
life. If you’ve read ‘34 Bubblegums and Candies,’ you’ll see that this book is
like old wine in a new bottle. This book features stories from her previous
one, albeit edited versions, in addition to some new ones.

The 50 stories in this book are grouped under 5 sub-heads. Each
group starts with a memorable quotation by some famous author or the other. ‘The
Parent Trap’ portrays the close bonding between the author and her parents. It
also includes anecdotes from her own parenting days. ‘Life, Love And Laughter’ include
incidents that are funny, humorous, and at times embarrassing but charming at
the same time. The third section is ‘Hey Brother!’ This comprises of incidents
involving the author’s children. How siblings protect and stand for each other during
times of need is what makes this section a happy reading. In the fourth section
of the book, ‘Love A Little Stronger,’ she speaks about love and acts of
kindness. In the concluding section, ‘Be The Best You Can Be,’ Shenoy shares
tips on life and parenting and gives advice to the aspiring writers.

The stories vary in length but display an unwavering tone of
simplicity and warmth. Each story, somehow or the other, gives one hope. It
touches the heart and elicits a smile. The stories are very relatable and go on
to show that no matter how hopeless a situation may seem, things always change.
Through this book, the author wants people to always believe in love. She also
shares her belief that oftentimes it is the tiniest things that bring happiness
in our lives.

Shenoy is a gifted, natural story teller and this book is a
light-giving, tender thing.

Preeti Shenoy is the bestselling author of Life is What You
Make It and nine other titles. Her books have been translated into several
Indian and foreign languages. She is among the highest selling authors in
India. She is also a speaker, columnist, and artist. Preeti has been featured
on BBC, Conde Nast, Verve, India Today and all other major media.

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in

Monday, July 2, 2018

Title: Padmavat

Author: Purushottam Agarwal

Publisher: Rupa Publications India

An epic poem, Padmavat was written by Sufi poet Malik
Muhammad Jayasi in 1540. Now, some five hundred years since this poem was first
written, the story of Queen Padmavati still continues to capture the
imagination of readers with its unique characterization. Several versions of
this historical story have made the rounds of both the literary and cine world.
Purushottam Agrawal’s ‘Padmavat: An Epic Love Story’ is one among many such
renditions.

So what makes Professor Agarwal’s book unique? Why should one
choose to read this book? Simply put, Prof Agarwal’s book is a retelling, and
sometimes interpretation, of the original Awadhi text. His book is a detailed
explanation of what Jayasi’s poem stood for. It is not a fictional account of
the story that has been simply converted from the poem. This book is an attempt
to understand the truth and myth behind the tale.

There has been a lot of controversy regarding the
authenticity of the myth of Queen Padmini of Chittor. The original poem ends
with Jayasi's own words: “I have made up the story and related it.” As such,
there should be no doubt, at least as far as the event in the poem goes, that
the story of the queen is nothing but a figment of a poet’s imagination.

Jayasi never meant to write history. Neither has Prof Agarwal.
Jayasi’s epic poem was a work of creative, imaginative literature woven around
an episode in history. In his much celebrated poem, he transformed that episode
and its legend into a rich, intricate tapestry of love, desire, and struggle wrought
with sacrifice. Jayasi, through his ingenious, had placed a local episode into
a much wider cultural perspective. Prof Agarwal’s is an interpretation of the
former. He does not get into the question of the historicity of the story of
Padmavati, except tangentially.

According to Prof Agarwal, Jayasi put love and life in the
ultimate existential perspective of transience in the face of impending death.
In a poignant poetic move, at the end of his saga, Jayasi makes victorious
Alauddin reflect not only on his pyrrhic victory but also on the nature of
insatiable desire. It’s he who says desire never goes away unless a man reaches
the grave. To show what he means, Prof Agarwal has provided text from the
original Awadhi wherever possible with its paraphrase in English.

Prof Agarwal is one of the most distinguished contemporary
critics of Hindi and a renowned scholar of Kabir. He taught Padmavat for over
40 years and his tremendous love for the epic shows in his retelling of it. Through
this book, he takes us on a journey through and about Padmavat. He describes
the salient points of the story. Written in a fluid language, Prof Agarwal’s
book is easy to comprehend. Devdutt Pattanaik’s alluring illustrations embellish
the chapters and add an undeniable charm.

A stunning display of insight and erudition and an important
contribution towards understanding a historical episode.

Purushottam Agrawal is a New Delhi based writer and literary
historian. He works on Bhakti, spirituality without religion and India’s
organic early modernity which, he argues, was halted in its tracks by
colonization. His work draws upon sources in Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Urdu,
Braj and Awadhi.

His book on Kabir, Akath Kahani Prem Ki: Kabir ki Kavita aur Unka Samay (2009)
is considered a contemporary classic and won the first Rajkamal Kriti Samman.

He is a well-known public intellectual, lending his voice to newspaper and
television debates. He is a contributing editor at The Quint.

Devdutt Pattanaik writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern
times. He has written over 700 articles in newspapers and thirty books, which
include the bestselling Business Sutra: A Very Indian Approach to Management
and My Gita. His shows on television include Business Sutra and Devlok with
Devdutt Pattanaik. He lives in Mumbai.